Location Reading

Subject guarantor:

Radovan HALUZÍK

Name of lecturer(s):

Radovan HALUZÍK

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

Our aim will be to see and explore city as a living multi-level organism. We try to see it from the historical, sociological and -above all- aesthetical perspectives. To explore its various landscapes, social environments accommodated by different social and cultural classes. And above all, its aesthetics, various atmospheres, spirits - genius loci of its places. We will also think about future locations for your potentional film projects.

Mode of study:

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

Recommended optional programme components:

Course contents:

Descreet Charm of Prague: Location Reading

Lets go with us to explore the discreet charm of Prague!

We will see and discuses different city landscapes usually hidden not only to the foreigners, but also to the Prague dwellers themselves. We will explore different time levels of the city, which have grown in its different historical periods. We will start near to city centre and move to its periphery in the order to end in the wilderness of countryside. We will see how the people used to leave there in the past and how they do it today.

And - above all - I hope, we will find some locations and inspirations for you perspective film projects. (So take your photo camera with yourself!)

Recommended or required reading:

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

Meeting in Room no. 7 at 10 am on Friday.

Assessment methods and criteria:

Students are expected to walk cca. 5 km on the first day, and 7-8 km on the second, take their notes and participate in the class. Please take suitable walking shoes, warm dress(!), umbrella and a small snack (for the second day) with you.

Credits obtaining conditions: 100% attendance + test

Course web page:

Note:

We will meet at Friday, 5th of October 9:30, downstairs at FAMU, and return back after 5 pm.

Take with yourself: walking boots, umbrella, water and small snack (but we will go for a lunch to a pub), rather tourist dress appropriate to the changing autumn weather, pen and paper for your notes, and photo camera...

Program:

1) City model and the lifestyle of particular historical period: the example of interwar modernism of the city quarter of Podolí.

2) Social life on the river of Vltava. Sport as an aesthetics. (Yacht clubs, sports and other river activities.)

3) River ferry as a example of social space (we will take a ferry to the opposite bank of river and do a short exercise mapping a social life. How do people accommodate an unknown space?).

4) City and its terrain vague. Average European city contains almost 50%(!) of „empty places“: what about their social life? (River island Císařská louka)

5) Industrialism of the 19th century and its legacy. Beauty of industrial architecture (Smíchov).

6) Pub as a meeting point of Czech local communities (Having a lunch in a local pub, we will do a short exercise on its social life and aesthetics.

7) City and wilderness. City within countryside and wilderness within city. Nature and its political aesthetics. (Prokopské údolí).

8) The story of city periphery in the 20th century. From countryside to a village within city (Hlubočepy)

9) Communist panel block suburbs. Communist model of modernity and its legacy (Nové Butovice).

10) City as a transport web and transport as a social event. Why buses, trams a metro stations have different passengers and different atmospheres? (On our way back to the centre...)

Further information:

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2012/2013:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2012/2013:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Cinema and Digital Media - Cinematography (qualification subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Screenwriting (qualification subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing (qualification subject)